Business cards I know most already do this, but sometimes it slips our minds to hand a card to convenient store clerk or person behind counter at dry cleaners. Also put them on bulletin board in break rooms of manufacturing companies. You can also place them on counters (after asking) in stores or businesses that may be pertinent to your business (for example if you sell home decor or furniture, place them on counter of an insurance company or a real estate agency). But don’t expect a clothing store to put them on their counter if you sell jeans and shirts, that would be like asking Coca Cola company to put a Pepsi machine in their foyer (sacrilege!).

T-shirts Have a t-shirt printed up that has a small ad and web address for your business on back of it, because it will be seen better than on front. People are always looking at others as they walk away or if they’re standing in line behind you at a checkout counter or at bank. You could even have some printed up for friends and family. But make it a cool color that will go with a good pair of jeans or shorts so people won’t hate to put it on.

Pens I have heard (and seen) that lots of businesses have their name printed on pens. Personally, I’m not real crazy about this, because I myself hardly ever actually read pen I’m writing with. But that doesn’t mean nobody does. So I leave this one up to you.

Bumper stickers Have a bumper sticker with a smart quip or saying printed up and pass them around to your friends. The car behind you or them at stoplight will no doubt read it. (Examples: STOP HONKING AND START SHOPPING AT http://www.yoursite.com - or - IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE WAY I DRIVE, THEN GO SHOPPING! http://www.yoursite.com)

If you think about it long enough, you can come up with all sorts of other ideas like this. Just make sure that if it involves other businesses or their property, always ask! Because last thing you want is to be professionally embarrassed or humiliated! Good luck!

5) Attention Does your ad have stopping power? Will intended audience take time to look? This usually requires synergy of an arresting visual and a powerful headline.

6) Objectives Are you asking advertising to do what it’s good at? Generating inquiries and creating awareness are reasonable ad objectives. But don’t expect advertising to SELL a product. Good ads set up opportunities to sell. Your sales channel will need to close deal.

7) Measuring results Do you really know what your advertising is achieving? Are you collecting and reviewing results that relate to your objectives? For instance, if you expect your advertising program to generate inquiries, measurement that looks at inquiry quantity and quality should be built into your program.

Sound intimidating? Communication is important to any business but it’s complicated. Fortunately there are experienced consultants and agencies who can help you.

©Copyright 2005 Clairvoyant Communications, Inc.